Possible carpet installation disaster...please weigh in with your info

[disneybound31]

Anyone who has ever had any experience having carpet installed- can you help me with some info? We hired Lowe's to install carpet in our home (the very reputable local family-owned carpet place was busy for months to come so we went with Lowes- and I now wish we had waited) In addition to arriving late and poor communication skills the guy's they sent to do the job have left places where the carpet has a visible seam (they say it needs time to 'relax' and lay flat?) plus, there are half a dozen spots where the carpet appears to have a 'hole' in it. Upon closer inspection I see that the carpet seam is not fully closed and I can push my finger to the baseboard. These are very obvious. Why would someone leave something so obvious?

In my DD4's room in one place the carpet is not under the baseboard at all... I can stick half my hand under the baseboard and wall.

When I pointed out these things he said he would come back next week to 'mess with it'. Then he kindof rolled his eyes. Does any of this sound like usual carpet install issues? (Except for the rolled eyes, of course. We have established they are none too professional.) This is the first time we ever had capeting put down so we aren't sure what is normal or if the explanations we get are accurate.

Thanks for any input, info or feel free to share your own horror stories!

 

[Chickysmom]

We have always had just one guy come to install any carpet we have needed. He is an independent contractor through a local carpet shop and we have been very happy with him. We have never seen anything like you are describing....and we have had carpet put in all of our curretn house and linoleum in another by the same guy. I would calls Lowe's immediately and tell them your problemd and insist that someone else come and look things over.

We have been very unhappy with our Lowe's for bad product delivery, backing their truck up too steep a drive and knocking out our phone lines and damaging our driveway, and a little bit snotty. It took three seperate doors before we got one we would accept.....

Call them!

 

[Diabolicdesire]

The seams will not get better, only worse. The gap between the base boards is probably not fixable either. I would call Lowes immediately and have them send someone out to evaluate the job and get your money back. If they will only have the carpet reinstalled I would insist on another installer.

I personally would not pay for it.

 

[ntburns22]

No advice but I have a story to share. I bought carpet without DH. It was for most of our 900sqft home at the time. So I took DD out for the day so she wasn't in way and DH stayed home. I come home to new carpet but it wasn't the carpet I bought. They installed the wrong stuff. Talk about a mess up.

 

[snowbunny]

I would call Lowes immediately and have them send someone out to evaluate the job and get your money back.

Yes. You paid to have the carpet properly installed. When you call Lowes, tell them you want to speak directly with the manager in the flooring department and then lay it on him or her in no uncertain terms.

 

[wdwstar]

a good carpet layer would have not left the seam noticable and in DD4 room the carpet should have ran to the base board, they usually use thin strips of wood with little nails along the out side of the base board to keep the carpet tight agaisnt and under the base board. what kind of carpet did you have installed?

i had carpet one time were the carpet was cut to big for the heat/cool vents on the floor, even the register didnt cover up the missing carpet, well they came back and glued peices of carpet together to make the opening smaller in all my rooms i complained and the carpet store would not do anymore for me. i never bought carpet from them again !

 

[disneybound31]

Yes. You paid to have the carpet properly installed. When you call Lowes, tell them you want to speak directly with the manager in the flooring department and then lay it on him or her in no uncertain terms.

Thanks for the input. It helps. I have gone to talk with Lowe's twice actually. Here's the timeline: SATURDAY: carpet 'installed'.

SUNDAY: I personally went down to Lowe's to talk to the flooring manager about the holes, seams showing and also about how the wrong metal carpet grippers were installed where the carpet meets the linoleum. (I need to add that I could not be home when the grippers were put down but DH was... this is my project so he did not realize the guys were putting down the wrong thing. The installers explanation is that he just used what was on his truck even though I had specifically told him what I wanted beforehand.) So on Sunday I was assured by Lowe's manager that the problems would be fixed until I was satisfied.

MONDAY: DH went down to Lowe's to ask that carpet installer be called by Lowe's because he is supposed to come Tuesday night after 6pm to put down more gripper (because he ran out on Saturday) and we realized he was going to show up with more of the wrong product and we needed to catch him.

TUESDAY: Carpet installer shows up 3 HOURS EARLY!!! And of course he has the WRONG gripper because he SAYS no one ever called him and now he is rolling his eyes at me and getting very irritated that he has to go back out and get the RIGHT one. Then he is even further irritated when I point out the seams, holes and how he has to re-do the bathrooms since he disregarded what I said I wanted. I was very nice and polite to him. I began to feel a bit intimidated at his reaction as I was home alone with my napping 4 year old so I just let his attitude go without comment. So he leaves huffing that he can't come now until next Saturday and this has put him behind? (it's his shoddy work that is putting him behind IMHO) I tell DH when he gets home and he is less than thrilled about this guy now.

WEDNESDAY: I pass Lowe's on my way home from work and I HAVE to turn around because by now I am pretty ticked off that I have paid in full for close to $3k worth of carpet and am being treated like crap just 'cause I would like it to be right! So I go back to flooring manager only he is off. So I end up with the installation sales manager(?) and she is VERY nice and assures me everything will be taken care of. I tell her I am confident that it will eventually be fixed, but I am having a hard time dealing with this guys attitude and where do we go from here if he still can't get it right? She just assures me it will be fixed. I was about to ask if they can just send someone else, but I didn't. She says she will personally call the installer and tell him she knows about each of the cosmetic problems and make sure he is clear for Saturday. So... long story over-- he will be here day after tomorrow and I am dreading it. But I will sit here in my house all day if I need to to MAKE SURE it is right.

Such drama over carpet!! I hate drama.

 

[luvindisneyworld]

If I were you I would demand my money back and go somewhere else at there expense.My DH is a installor and you can not find one of his seams.What kind of tack strip did he use if it was the wrong kind.
If you dont want your money back I would definetely make them buy it.I would request that they send somene else to replace all of the carpet you had installed.

 

[disneybound31]

a good carpet layer would have not left the seam noticable and in DD4 room the carpet should have ran to the base board, they usually use thin strips of wood with little nails along the out side of the base board to keep the carpet tight agaisnt and under the base board. what kind of carpet did you have installed?

i had carpet one time were the carpet was cut to big for the heat/cool vents on the floor, even the register didnt cover up the missing carpet, well they came back and glued peices of carpet together to make the opening smaller in all my rooms i complained and the carpet store would not do anymore for me. i never bought carpet from them again !

When we bought this house 5 years ago the previous owner had RUINED the carpet and the house was a new build- only 2 years old. We cleaned the nasty matted, stained, thin, cheap carpet at least once per year, but since we had 2 small children we waited til now to replace it. DS8 and DDalmost 5 are old enough now to understand food/drinks stay in the kitchen and dining room and so we saved for 2 years and were sooo excited to have nice looking carpet. We purchased the best carpet pad available and a nice mid-grade (not the most expensive but far from the cheapest) carpet with a lifetime stain warranty, scotch guard, 20 year anti- matting guarantee... you name it. Lowe's told us their carpet guy had been with them 10+ years so I felt good about it.

I can't understand about under that baseboard. I runs under the baseboard but not very far and even though I know there are those nail tack strips it doesn't seem to be attached to it. I took the air vent registers out too, and kindof pulled the carpet up to see if they put the right pad down (they did) and could feel the tack strips... they just don't seem to have grabbed the carpet very much. Everywhere else the carpet is firmly under the baseboards--- I crawled every inch of the house on my hands and knees feeling the edge.


And I'm not so sure any kind of refund would be available to me since the carpet is here and laid . Unless they have to refund the installation fee so I can hire another company to come fix it Actually, that's not funny.

Am I asking too much to get what I paid for???

 

[disneybound31]

If I were you I would demand my money back and go somewhere else at there expense.My DH is a installor and you can not find one of his seams.What kind of tack strip did he use if it was the wrong kind.
If you dont want your money back I would definetely make them buy it.I would request that they send somene else to replace all of the carpet you had installed.

They just used the existing tack strip and I don't know anything about it. Were they supposed to take it up and put down new? They told me when I first got an estimate that they would use what was already there. The store said that.

When my parents and then my grandparents got new carpet this past year I never saw a seam and they reported no probs. Of course, they used the small mom and pop carpet store that has been in business for 30 years in our small town. I knew all along I should have waited until they had time to do it. They are the best and I now realize I've made a mistake. My family owns a business and we are considered the best at what we do in our county so I know to always give my business to the small business owner... they HAVE to be good to keep going. I got sucked in by the 'big guys' and man, am I sorry I did.

 

[pjshaff]

No, you need to go higher up on their food chain. If you aren't satisfied then you go to the District Manager of that store and explain your situation. Does Lowes have a "Ben Hill" phone # at their Corporate Office that you can call like Home Depot does? That's their complaint line that goes to HD's corporate in Atlanta. I worked for HD for 7 years and we routinely gave customer's their money back (sometimes partial and sometimes the entire amount) when an installation was done wrong. Be firm but nice and document everything.

 

[BarbWB]

Wow. Do you live in Austin? I swear I HATE, DESPISE Lowes and their carpet people. I can't even type the words I want to say about them.
Call the store mgr and say nasty things (in a nice way of course, but drop "legal" words like "deceptive trade practice" "breach of warranty" etc) and watch them scramble. I had the WORST experience with them and carpet. They lied, delayed, and ultimately the carpet is buckling. I was sooooo sick of dealing with them that I don't even care about the buckling b/c it is just one room.

But, call and get the GENERAL mgr for the store. If that doesn't work, get the regional mgr. If that doesn't work, file a BBB complaint (do it online, just search for the store name). That ALWAYS gets their attention.

Good luck!!

 

[jensmom]

And I'm not so sure any kind of refund would be available to me since the carpet is here and laid . Unless they have to refund the installation fee so I can hire another company to come fix it Actually, that's not funny.

Am I asking too much to get what I paid for???

It doesn't matter, you paid to have it done correctly. If they have to rip it all out, order new stuff and have it installed, that is their problem, not yours. Stick to your guns and have it done to your satisfaction! Keep after them!!

 

[CarolA]

Did you pay with a credit card?

At this point I would tell Lowe's that you are contacting the CC company to tell them that the service paid for was not provided and you are disputing the charge.

I agree with others QUIT dealing with the flooring manager. Find the STORE manager and start there.

I had Home Depot install my carpet at my old house and they really did a great job. I guess a lot depends on your installer.

 

[Adi12982]

Anyone who has ever had any experience having carpet installed- can you help me with some info? We hired Lowe's to install carpet in our home (the very reputable local family-owned carpet place was busy for months to come so we went with Lowes- and I now wish we had waited) In addition to arriving late and poor communication skills the guy's they sent to do the job have left places where the carpet has a visible seam (they say it needs time to 'relax' and lay flat?) plus, there are half a dozen spots where the carpet appears to have a 'hole' in it. Upon closer inspection I see that the carpet seam is not fully closed and I can push my finger to the baseboard. These are very obvious. Why would someone leave something so obvious?

In my DD4's room in one place the carpet is not under the baseboard at all... I can stick half my hand under the baseboard and wall.

When I pointed out these things he said he would come back next week to 'mess with it'. Then he kindof rolled his eyes. Does any of this sound like usual carpet install issues? (Except for the rolled eyes, of course. We have established they are none too professional.) This is the first time we ever had capeting put down so we aren't sure what is normal or if the explanations we get are accurate.

Thanks for any input, info or feel free to share your own horror stories!

Call the store or the people you paid. Two of my uncles do flooring for Lowe's and they are all insured and HAVE to fix problems. Or else they send someone else a no cost to you and charge the original person that put it in.

 

[teamagic]

Did you pay with a credit card? I second telling Lowes that you are going to call your credit card company and dispute the charges. You paid to have carpet installed correctly.

Why would the not rip out the old tack strips and provide with new? I have never heard of such a practice. But then again you are talking about Lowes.

Call or stop again at the store and demand to speak to the store manager. If that does not work, get the regional manager involved. My dh worked for Lowes for 6 months when he was inbetween jobs. They should replace you carpet if the job is that bad, but it will take some doing. Don't accept anything less. You worked hard to save your money to get new carpet. Good Luck and don't take NO for an answer!

 

[disneybound31]

Wow. Do you live in Austin? I swear I HATE, DESPISE Lowes and their carpet people. I can't even type the words I want to say about them.
Call the store mgr and say nasty things (in a nice way of course, but drop "legal" words like "deceptive trade practice" "breach of warranty" etc) and watch them scramble. I had the WORST experience with them and carpet. They lied, delayed, and ultimately the carpet is buckling. I was sooooo sick of dealing with them that I don't even care about the buckling b/c it is just one room.

But, call and get the GENERAL mgr for the store. If that doesn't work, get the regional mgr. If that doesn't work, file a BBB complaint (do it online, just search for the store name). That ALWAYS gets their attention.

Good luck!!

Ha! Ha! No, I'm in East Tennessee. But the installers are from Michigan- for some reason they mentioned it and they have Michigan tags on their trucks. DH can't figure out why they still have out of state tags if they have been doing carpet for Lowe's for 10 years? Seems weird to me too.

We live in a small area and I would hate to get in a big fiasco with a business, but I may have to follow through on some of the advice you all have given. I would like for someone from the store (preferably with SOME knowledge of laying carpet) to come see exactly what my complaints are. That way it is documented. I tried a digital camera but it can't really show the angles and the holes and seams come out blurry.

Our other carpet was so bad it is just nice to have clean, fresh looking carpet throughout the house. But every time I walk over one of those problems my stomache turns over and I feel taken. Think I can get a refund for pain and suffering?

 

[Sophiesmom]

We had a very similar problem a few years ago. We purchased carpeting through Expo (owned by Home Depot) and the installation job was TERRIBLE! They subcontract for carpet installation and the crew we ended up with were very young and inexperienced. We had very visible seems and at least one spot on the seam that had a chunk out of it the size of my fingertip! I called and complained and they insisted upon sending the crew out the next day to see if they could solve the problem. These guys actually cut a piece of leftover carpet and GLUED it in the large gap!!

Needless to say, this was not satisfactory. After many phone calls, we disputed the charge on our credit card and ultimately, they agreed to rip up the carpet and replace the entire room's carpeting. There was really nothing else that could be done, because they had cut the carpeting wrong creating uneven seams and gaps. Such a waste! I INSISTED they they send their best crew to do the reinstall, which they did. Everything was fine the second time around, but I will never purchase carpet from them again! Best of luck to you and do not back down or feel bad for insisting on what you paid for!

 

[steen995]

I had a problem once with vinyl installed by Home Depot. Someone came from the store that day to look at it.

If it is that poor of a job insist it be fixed by another contractor. Also, if it's that bad you can insist on new carpet. You may or may not get it, but if you don't put it on the table it definately won't happen. Remember, Lowe's has insurance to cover these kinds of things.

 

[Diabolicdesire]

It is almost impossible to fix a bad carpet job. Especially if it's cut wrong. I would make sure when they come out Saturday that you are home to see everything he does. If it still doesn't look right when he leaves I would contact Lowe's corporate office and file a complaint.
After this attempt I would insist on a complete replacement with a different installer or my money back.

I am dreading the day I have to replace my carpet here because I am very picky. I'm almost temped to let my ex come install it. I can't stand the site of him but atleast I know he does great seams.